Safety pin



H. BURBIG SAFETY PIN Filed June 22, 1948 May 29, 1951 IN V EN TOR. HENRY BURB/G W 9 A 7' TORNEV Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,554,519 SAFETY PIN Henry Burbig, New York, N. Y.

Application June 22, 1948, Serial N 0. 34,402

Claims. (01. 24-161) This invention relates to a safety pin.

An object of this invention is to provide a safety pin in which the point is guarded in all normal unstrained positions of the pin.-

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety pin which has no projecting portions or exposed notches in either its closed or latched position or in its normally open position. For example, even if the pin of the present invention should be accidentally swallowed, the point whether open or latched, would not be exposed to pierce and there are no gouging portions and no wedged shaped notches or slots to catch on or scratch the internal parts of the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety pin with an internally situated keeper or locking means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety pin in which the pointed prong can only be exposed for piercing by applying pressure to push it away from its protecting shield.

These and other objects ancillary thereto are obtained by forming a safety pin with a pointed wire prong situated within a wire framework. The end of the framework adjacent the point of the prong contains a guard or shield which includes an internally situated lock or keeper. The guard or shield is so constructed as to permit springing the pointed prong perpendicularly away from the framework in both directions or in one direction only. The end of the framework opposite the point may contain a metal cover for reinforcing and enclosing the said end. The keeper or latch which is within the shield is preferably slightly spaced away from the exact center of the framework so that when the point is sprung into the keeper it is held against the inner edge of the keeper and so that the point when outside of the keeper is not forced above or below the guard by the outer edge of the keeper.

The novel features characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

- Figure 1 is a front or top view of the pin.

Figure 2 is a rear or bottom view of the pin.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a front or top view of a modified form of the pin.

As shown in the drawing, the prong or pin member III has a point II and substantially bisects the space between a wire frame. The frame comprises two side members l2 and !3. The frame and prong are conveniently made from one length of wire material by bending at It and I5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The end of the pin remote from the point has a shield l6 secured thereto which reinforces the end of the pin and provides a smooth surface for that end of the wire frame.

The end of the framework adjacent the point I i has a housing 20 extending thereabout. The inner top edge 2! of the housing 2!] extends over the tip of the point I I of the prong H3. The inner bottom edge of the housing 20 is divided into two portions. A first portion 22 extends considerably beyond the tip of the point I I. The second edge portion 23 is indented or cut away sufficiently to permit the point H to be forced outwardly away from the frame past the said edge 23.

At least partly Within the housing 20, the keeper 25 is formed. One edge of this keeper 25 is substantially continuous with the edge portion 22. This keeper 25 is preferably formed by slitting the bottom of the housing 20 along the edge 23 and bending the tongue so formed in the shape of a J which is situated at least partly within the housing 20. The extent to which the edge 2| extends over the pin point and over the keeper 25 is a matter of choice. It can be made to extend entirely over the keeper 25; however, since one end of the keeper is always within the,

shown in Figures 3 and 4,'the open edge of the J of the keeper 25 can extend fairly close to the top edge 2| of the housing 20 so that the prong Ill must be snapped past the space between the keeper 25 and the edge 2|.

As shown in Figure 4, even when the point of the prong I is not inserted in the keeper, it is shielded by the housing 20 so as to prevent it from piercing any flat or reasonably flat surface with which the pin comes in contact. The pin of this invention can even be swallowed Without any great damage to the victim as the point is shielded even in its unlatched position and there are no exposed points, projecting edges, notches or gouging elements present on the pin either in the frame members 12 and IS, on the pin I0 itself or on the shields l6 and 20.

As shown in the modification of Figure 5, the" frame I2, I3 in either direction. In li igurezfithel edge 2 l of the housing is not. curved-inwardly toward the point as the said edge 2| passes the keeper so that the point of prong can pass the lower part of the edge 2| in the same way tha passes s pert onia Va ious othe slight-chang s in the bape f th edse porti ns are possible without departing from the spirit of theinvention but preferably the inner edge portion of the keeper 25 is always overshadowed by the edge 2| and preferably the line running from edges 22 to 2| to 23 is always smooth and continuous with only the one stepped portion where the keeper 25' is formed.

In use the pin can be ope e only y a p rson of relatively mature age by holding the frame,- work firmly against the first two-fingersiofone hand, for example, and pressingthe point I I past the edge 23' and betweenthe two fingers with the thumb. In this position the point II and prong ID are ready to be inserted into the'object that it is desired to pin, After the prong ID has been threaded in and out of a fabric and then released, the prong ID will assume a position in back of the shield 20 (if the bite in the fabric is not too large). In anyevent, the point ll can b pu hed into he keeper 25 and h fabric material on the prong I0 is clamped between the frame members l2 and [3, ,Any pulling on the fabric which is pinned serves only tolhold the prong it] more tightly against the keeper- 25.

I'claim:

1. In a safety-pin, a pointed prong, a frame-extending entirely around said pointed prong, a housing surrounding the end of the frame adja-- cent the point of saidprong, means at the pposite end of the frame fixedly securing the bas f the pr ne to the s d mem er o the frame, said housing having a smooth unintera rupted top surface extending beitwefin and substantially contiguous with the sidesgof the frame, said housing having a smooth bottom surface with a slightly irregular inner edge, one side of s t m su a e o the "h us ng-b ing indented to permit the point .of-the prong to-pass, the other side of the inner edgebfthe housing definin at least a pa t of a ee e mecha i m, he. s id in dented side of thebottem edgeextend-ing to the central p of the hou ng a j cent bearea no mally p e 'the poi t of he preng'when th s p e s le ed'whereby the paint of the relaxed prong normally occupies the space e n the top; an bottom urfac s of aid housin r 4 extending entirely around said pointed prong, a housing surrounding the end of the frame adjacent the point of said prong, means at the opposite end of the frame fixedly securing the base of the prong to the side members of the frame, said housing having a smooth and uninterrupted top surface extending between and substantially contiguous with the sides of the frame and extending inwardly beyond the point of said prong, said housing having a smooth bottom surface with a slightly irregular inner edge, one side of said bottom surface of the housing being indented to permit the point of the prong to pass, the other side of the inner edge of the housing defining at least a part of a keeper mechanism, the said indented side of the bottom edg extending to the central part of the housing adjacent the area normally occupied by the point of the prong when the said prong is relaxed whereby the point of the relaxed prong normally occupies the space between the top and bottom surfaces of said ho in 2. In a; safety nil-nrapointed probe, a frame 7 3. Ina safety pin, a pointed prong, a frame extending entirely around said pointed prong, a housing surrounding the end of the frame adjacent the poin -etsaidprene, mea s at the Opp i e end o the ame fixe iy s ur ng the a of the prong to-the side; members Of he r me, said sin hav ns s ooth and uninte upted t p urface e tending twe n and substantial contiguous with the side of the frame, the bot m su ac of a d housing a so extendin be-. tween the frame membe s and havin a ieetb u r su face the bott m of saido s ng d n in an edge consisting of two parts, the first part of sai e g b ing nclented e p m t the po -t t of said arms to move pa t e am t e se ded par o a d tt m ed e extending i wa dly t nd the p t o a d prong; a ton ue int g a wit t por o tw en e t o ed s-0 s d bot o of he sin sa dtmeu ein be e a pos tion within the planes defined by the top-and bot: tom s rfa o aid first ous n to er a keeper f r the point, the sa d. inden a ion o h ettbm edge xt n g o he ce tr l pa o s i he s ins and adjace t tlz ear a no ma l Qce p dby he, point f the p one wh n the ve prons s r laxed wher by the p int of he ele drrezn normal y occup e t e spacebetween the tenand bottom surfacesof said housing.

4. In a safety pin, a pointed prong, a frame extending entirely around said pointed prong, a ho sing r u in the end of h t ad-1e adjacent the poi of aid pro eans the phesite end of the frame fixedly securing th base of the rong to he side-me b -b he frame, s id housin havin a s ooth u inter upt d ensu face extending between and substantially 1 tiguous with the sides of the-frame and extend ing. nwa dly eyond he-poi t f sa d p o the bottomsurfaceiof saidhousing also xte d ng between he fr m emb rs and havi g a mee h outer surfa e, he bottom o aid h sin endin in an ed e onta ning o pa ts he-first par d edge being nden edte pe mit the point e s d prong o move past th sam the sec part of said bottom edge extending inwardly be.- y nd h p int of sa d p ong a tongue integr l wi h the po t o etween he two. edges a as botto o e using sai t n ue "b in bent to a sition he Pla es'dev y said en an ottom r. eees-b s i iiie -ng o fa m keepe for-the. oi t,- th said inde tation of bottom edge extending approximately one half of the distance betwe n the sides of: the frame REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 0 Number Name Date Frederiksen May 31, 1910 Barker June 27, 1911 Starmer Oct. 5, 1920 Colby Aug. 26, 1930 White June 13, 194% FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 6, 1924 Denmark Mar. 30, 1931' 

